Looky what I found

[Tom Wilson]

I stepped outside for a little air while helping the wife clean out the garage, and I heard the quietest little peeps coming from my barberry bush. I stood real still, and then I noticed a Chipping Sparrow sitting a few feet away watching me. I stepped back and sure enough she went straight to the bush. She left to go get some more food and this was what I found when I walked around to the other side.

I will have to keep this post running, as I fully intend to keep a log on the growth of these little dudes. I also am very interested on what the larger bird is, as he was obviously deposited by another bird of another species. He/she is approximately twice the size as the chippers. I have a clean shot of the nest, so as not to disturb them too much, and it will make for an easy fun project.

[jonny_redhorse]

great images Tom!....that bird in the second photo has a mouth like the grandcanyon! ....certainly will ne interesting to see what he develops into........keep us posted for sure...jonny

[mcary]

Nice find Tom. How many parasitic species are there in Minnesota? The only one I know about that is an obligate nest parasite is the brown-headed cowbird.

[buzzsaw]

Hope it's not a baby hawk, he's have built in lunch. I'm curious to see how it all evolves. I was doing the same thing with House finches and I'm pretty sure the Blue Jays got em (again).

[Tom Wilson]

Well, Here's what I know.

The rains came the day after I took those photos, and I didn't get back to photograph them for four days. When I checked on them four days later there was only one chipper left in the nest. I did see one on the ground walking around, and heard another, but they didn't go back to the nest. I was sitting in the blind this afternoon when the rain quit, and guess what happened right in front of me--Proof. It was indeed a brown headed cowbird, and the two parental Chippers are doing their part to get him good and healthy. At first I thought they were arguing and then sure enough the chipper crawls right up inside his mouth and starts feeding the big brute. It went on for about five minutes the first time, and about three minutes the second time I saw it about two hours later. Here's two photos from the feeding. I thought it was great!

[buzzsaw]

Thats what I call a very good capture and proof of what happens out there in the bird world.

[mplspug]

After seeing these pictures I know that I had the same situation at my feeder. A sparrow feeding a cowbird it was raising. Your heart goes out to the parents, but they don't seem to mind.

[mcary]

Very cool Tom! It's no wonder where the term bird-brained comes from. If I had a child that was 3 times my size and still begging for food, I would have to reconsider the situation.